Ashton and the Ashton Classic came on the scene back in 1994 I believe. It is the brain child of Philly native Robert Levin. He partnered with the Fuentes who manufacture many of the cigars that bear the Ashton name. Known for superb quality and construction on all their lines the Classic seems to be no exception.

Ashton VSG (Virgin Sun Grown) was introduced in 1999 and it's without doubt the most successful blend of the marca. Conceived in close cooperation with Oliva and Fuente families, it is blended from Dominican tobacco aged for 4-5 years, wrapped in an Ecuadorian leaf which is slowly matured under the sunlight filtered by clouds always present in the region. It has scored countless 90+ ratings from CI/CA and is considered one of the most sought-after cigars on the market.

This is the robusto version of Ashton’s flagship line . . . the Estate Sun Grown. The ESG sports a celebrated wrapper grown on the Chateau de la Fuente farm in the Dominican Republic. Ashton claims that this wrapper has never been used on any other cigar it produces and that the series relies on rare tobacco to provide its rich, bold complexity. We’ll see if these claims are accurate.

Was looking for a decent maduro and a friend recommended me Ashtons. I went for the corona and bought a box. They've been lying in the humidor for a few months before I took a few out for the review. Smoked them with a couple of friends, we all agreed that the Ashton Maduro No. 20 is a solid, medium to strong stick.

The Ashton Classic 8-9-8 was an experimental buy. I wasn't overly impressed by the look of it, but it was the last one in the box and I was intrigued. It was a pleasant surprise. As a rule I've never been much of a morning smoker, but this will eternally be my early morning cigar now.

The Ashton Heritage Puro Sol Robusto is interesting in that the name pretty much says it all. Translated, Puro Sol means Pure Sun, as this is how this particular wrapper was grown. It shows in the dark brown hue. A beautiful cigar in the color aspect of it.

I've never been much on the smaller cigars, but the Ashton Esquire Maduro really impressed me. Very nice overall flavor, and very good construction. Apparently the Maduros are well aged, about 5 years, before put on the market. It really shows in the flavor.

Ashton Cigars was created in 1985 by Robert Levin. Levin teamed up with the Fuentes taking advantage of their manufacturing experience to help him create his cigars. Ashton’s popularity was originally built on its mild, yet flavorful Connecticut Shade wrapped cigars. The popularity of the Ashton brand would explode with the introduction of a powerful full bodied cigar, the Virgin Sun Grown (VSG). In November of 1999 Ashton Cigars unveiled the VSG, the most powerful and full bodied cigar in the Ashton catalog. The VSG sports an Ecuadorian sungrown wrapper. Apparently the VSG, before it was called VSG, was going to have a Chateau de la Fuente wrapper of Opus X fame (Keepers of the Flame, Oct. 1, 2006). But the rarity of the wrapper and the popularity of the Opus killed that plan. That’s how The VSG ended up with the Ecuadorian sungrown wrapper. A few of the VSG vitolas have pretty standard names like Belicoso and Robusto, but others have been given more mystical names like Tres Mystique, Wizard, Echantment, Illusion and Sorcerer. Not sure why that is and unfortunately I was unable to find any info on it.